Four-month concurrent sentence for Offaly supermarket assault

Carlow defendant threw pallet at man at Dunnes Stores in Tullamore

Court reporter


Court reporter

Four-month concurrent sentence for Offaly supermarket assault

Prisoner wore mask in Tullamore courtroom

A MAN who is currently serving a 12-month prison sentence for criminal damage and dangerous driving has been sentenced to another four months in jail.

However, John Stynes, 9 Upper Staplestown Road, Carlow, will serve the new sentence concurrently with the other prison term.

The four-month sentence was imposed for assaulting a man, Saulius Sliokati, at the Dunnes Stores loading bay on Church Road in Tullamore on June 21 last.

He also admitted engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour on the same occasion and to stealing from another store in Tullamore, Leavy's Centra, on the same date.

The 29-year-old married father of four, who sat in the custody area of the courtroom with a mask over his mouth, was represented by Donal Farrelly solicitor who told Judge Bernadette Owens his client had a serious drink problem and the offences emanated from that.

He was now off the drink and was doing well in prison, said Mr Farrelly, adding that an allegation that Mr Stynes had said he would kill the man at Dunnes was denied.

Sgt James O'Sullivan said the assault involved Mr Stynes throwing a plastic pallet but Mr Farrelly said the pallet may not have made contact with the injured party.

Judge Owens was told Mr Sliokati did not wish to make a victim impact statement.

The judge noted that Mr Stynes had pleaded guilty the previous week and that plea followed admissions he had made to the gardai.

Imposing the four-month sentence, she also noted the Tullamore offences had occurred around the same time as those for which he was already serving a sentence.

The previous week's sitting had been told Mr Stynes took two handbags from Leavy's Centra and one of them contained €400, which had not been recovered.

The convictions for criminal damage and dangerous driving had been recorded at Carlow District Court and the man had about 30 other convictions, including four for theft.